Vehicle-wheel.



PATENTBD DEC. 17, 1907.

w. E. SNEDIKER. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION I'IL ED K0711, 1906.

4 140cm fez gimp; %1 &. flttoznc embodie as tire.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.wILLIAM E. 'SNEDIKER, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

vnmcm-wnnnn."

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application file N em r 1.1906. Serial No. 341.542.

address is 540 West One Hundredand Fortysixth street, New York city, NewYork,) have invented certain new and useful Imrovements inVehicle-Wheels, of which the ollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription, whereby any one skilled in the art may make and usethe,same.

The invention relates to vehicle wheels and more particularly to suchwheels as are commonly used on trackless vehicles, although its princiles of operation may, of course, be in any form of vehicle whetherrunning upon tracks or the open road way.

The objects of the invention are to produce a vehicle wheel or moreparticularly a shock absorbing device for a wheel which was reduce thejar and vibration ordinarily trans mitted from the wheel to the axle andother supported vehicle parts.

A still further object is to secure shock absorbing effect eliminatingat the sazre time the ordinary difficulties arising from injury tothe'cushioning or shock absorbing parts.

-A still further object is to absorb the shock through a resilientcushion, such as a pneumatic tube, and to provide means for preventingthe puncturing of the pneumatic tube.

A still further object is to combine with a pneumatic tube, an auxiliarymechanical absorber, such as a spring.

Referring to the drawings :-.-Figure 1 is a detail sectional viewthrough a wheel show ing the axle and a purtenant parts in elevation.Fig. 2 is a etail plan view of the end of the axle showing a wheelbearing of the pivoted steering type. Fig. 3 is a detail view in sideelevation of the wheel pivot. Fig. 4 is a detail side view of a Workingtread with parts show its interior surface. 5 is a detail plan view ofthe arts shown in Fig. 3'. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the end ofthe axle. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line'm-zi of Tt has beencommon practice to em loy on road vehicles, tires of various forms avingthe capacity to absorb shocks and the commonest t pc is known as theneumatlc T form of shock absor er, while ortion of the bro en awaytohaving all the requirements of a resilient tread, is, more or less,easily punctured.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to retain all theadvantages of resiliency of tire and, at the same time, preventliability of puncturing. To effect this result,

.the neumatic tube or ordinary pneumatic tire is protected by a suplemental tire acting as a direct tread for t e wheel. The resultantmechanical effect is to provide what is practically two wheel rims ortreads between which the pneumatictire is located in such a manner thatwhile the two wheel treads roll together, there is the effect of onewheel Within a second, and with "the pneumatic tube always undercompression between the two at the tread portion.

To provide a certainty of grip between the two tread portions, the outeror working tread is preferably formed with its inner face undulated Thisprovides a certainty of grip between the outer tread member and thepneumatic tube.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a wheel which may be ofany wellknown. co strumion aid is, of course, pro vided wita a hub 2 andspokes 3. At the outer end of the spokes 1s a felly which may beofordinary type in common practice, or may be of special form as indicatedin the drawings.

As shown in Fi 1, the felly has on its outer face a su stantiallysemi-circular groove'or tire-bearing 4, the outer faces 5-6 of which areparallel and are provided with guide-ways 78. These guide-ways areactually formed by side-plates 9-10 suitably secured to the outer edgesof the telly 1112 by bolts .or other suitablefastening means. Of course,it is understood that there is thus formed an annular guide-grooveextending about the entire felly. Within the groove 4 is located apneumatic tube 5 which may be of any desired construction and formationand, of course, provided with the necessary air valve for inflating.This valve is not shown in the accompanying drawings.

Extending entirely about the wheel and acting as the actual workingtread therefor, is a resilient cushion 13, fastened in a suitable mannerto a member 14, the inner surface of which is of undulating form asshown in.Fig. 4 of the drawings. These undula' tions, of course,extendtransversel'y across the inner surface and may be. arranged in anygiven form to meet the exigencies of any particular case.

. member 14, are annular disks or plates 15,-

Bolted or otherwise secured to the tread 16 of a proper size and form tofit within the guide-ways 78 formed between the sides of the felly .andthe clamped-on plates 910. The inner circumference of these outreference to the supplemental-mechansame time, preclude the ingress ofdirtorother materials under the action of whichthe resilient cushion 5might deteriorate.

The operation of the device thus far described, pertains particularly tothe wheel tread and is, in'itself,'{a shock absorber withical absorberhereinafter described. In fact, it would be possible to use this cushionin the form above described, upon any wheel and upon any type ofvehicle.

The wheel, above described, is preferablyv mounted upon a stub axle 17which, as to its main hub-bearing and pivot, is of ordinary constructionand is provided if used as an individual steering-w heel with an offsetsteering-arm 18, provided with a suitable universal connection 19 to becontrolled by a proper form of steering mechanism. This stub axle 17terminates in a pivot block 20, having a considerable length of bearingupon a wheel pivot 21 which extends through its central opening 22.

The form of the eye at the end of the main axle 23, is also of such aform that the exterior surface 24 of the pivot block, has a'runningbearing upon itssurface as indicated at 25, thus giving an internal andexternal bearing to the body block and stub axle with reference to thepivot and eye of the main axle.

About the pivot 21 and formed in the pivot block, is a counter-bore orrecess 26, Within which is located a resilient cushion extending betweenthe pivot block and the upper. lip of the eye of the main axle.

As indicated in the drawing, this cushion consists of a spring 27,although, obviously,

certain resilience between t e main axle 23 and the stub axle whichbears the wheel, and to insure the main axle 23 against shock, jar andvibration which may not be absorbed entirely by theresilienti, tire. 7It has a further function of relieving to a certain extent the wear andtear upon the tire.

In some type of vehicles it may be found advantageous to use the cushionof the pivot block in conjunction with a solid tire mounted upon theordinary form of wheel, although, it is preferred to use thepneumatictread features with the shock absorber of the pivot block.

Obviously the details and the construction of the various parts might bevaried to suit the exigencies of anyparticular demand for constructionWithout departing from the spirit or intent of the invention and variousmodifications of the arrangement of parts might be made Withoutdeparting-from the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In combination in a wheel having a re silient tread, a stub axleforming the bearing said stub axle, an axle eye curved to form'anexternal vertical bearing for the pivot block,

a pivot interposed between the axle eye and pivot blockand forming themain internal bearing therefor, a recessformed about the pivot of theivot block, and a resilient cushing for the pivot block, a pivotinterposed between the axle eye and pivot block and forming-an internalbearing therefor and a resilient cushion interposed between the pivotblock and axle eye. 7

WILLIAM E. SNEDIKER. Witnesses:

ANNA M. STAPLETON, EDWIN S. MERRILL.

.for the-wheel, a pivot block appurtenant to

